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Sayyid Sa‘eed Akhtar Rizvi (Urdu: سيد سعيد اختر رضوي) (January 5, 1927 - June 20, 2002) was an Indian born, Twelver Shī‘ah scholar, who promoted Islam in East Africa. He was given authorizations (Arabic: اجازة) by fourteen Grand Ayatullahs for riwayah, Qazawah, and Umur-e-Hasbiyah.

Biography

Rizvi was born in Ushri, Saran district, Bihar state, India, in 1927. His father was Sayyid Abul Hassan Rizvi and who was also a Hakim (Yunani medicine doctor) and a religious scholar. He had five sons and two daughters. His second eldest son, Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi, lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is the Imam of the Islamic Shia Ithna‘asheri Jamaat (ISIJ) of Toronto. He spoke and wrote in Urdu, English, Arabic, Persian, Swahili and was also familiar with Hindi and Gujarati.

In 1959 he was appointed the Islamic scholar (Arabic: 'alim) for Lindi, Tanzania. In 1962, he conceived a plan for propagating Islam. His plan was proposed and approved at the triennial Conference of the Supreme Council of Africa Federation of K.S.I Jamaats of Africa in Tanga in 1964. and became the Bilal Muslim Mission. Rizvi was transferred from Arusha to Dar es Salaam in mid-eastern Tanzania and Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania was officially registered in 1968. The Bilal Muslim Mission of Kenya was founded in 1971. Through his mission he introduced correspondence courses in Islamic studies in English and Swahili. He traveled and lectured to university students in Africa, Europe, Canada and United States.

His funeral was held in Dar es Salaam with two scouts holding black flags in the cortege to the burial site. Officials and Scholars from several countries were present. The Islamic funeral prayer (Salat al-Mayyit) was given by his son, Muhammad Rizvi.

Rizvi authored over 140 books, some of them having been translated into many languages.

The Bilal Muslim Mission had been able to accomplished at lot in its objective of spreading the true teaching of Islam, through the hard work of its dedicated founders. This was achieved with very limited means and resources. Main source of spreading the Islamic faith was person to person or through correspondence and publication of books and its dissemination. People from Guyana in South America to Poland in Europe and from Malaysia to West Africa benefitted and embraced the true Islam. At the time of his death according to PEW research there where approximately 2 million Shias in Tanzania.

Bibliography

As author

• A Few Questions and Answers. Bilal Muslim Mission of Kenya.
• A Lecture On Nahju 'l-Balãghah. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. 2001. ISBN 9789987620180.
• Day of Judgement. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. 1998. ISBN 9789987620029.
• Elements of Islamic Studies. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. 1986. ISBN 9789976956054.
• Fadak. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. January 1999.
• Family Life of Islam. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. 1988. ISBN 9789976956399.
• Fast. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. 1988. ISBN 9789976956313.
• Four Californian Lectures. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. 1989. ISBN 9789976956405.
• God : An Islamic Perspective. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. 1994. ISBN 9789976956801.
• Hijab: The Dress of Modesty in Islam. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. 1992. ISBN 9789976956740.
• Imamate: The vicegerency of the Holy Prophet. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. 1988. ISBN 9789976956139.
• In defense of Islamic Laws: Four Memoranda on various Personal Laws of Islam. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. 2007.
• Inner Voice. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. 1989. ISBN 9789976956450.
• Islam. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. January 1977.
• Meaning and Origin of Shi'ism. Islamic Education & Information Centre.
• Muhammad is the Last Prophet. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. 1988. ISBN 9789976956283.
• Need of Religion. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. 1988. ISBN 9789976956375.
• Pork. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. 1975. ISBN 9789976956160.
• Prophecies about Occultation of Imam al-Mahdi (a.s.). Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. ISBN 9789987620234.
• Prophecies about the Holy Prophet of Islam in Hindu, Christian, Jewish & Parsi Scriptures. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. ISBN 9789987620210.
• Prophethood. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. 1987. ISBN 9789976956177.
• Sects of Islam. World Islamic Network.
• Taqiyah. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. 1992. ISBN 9789976956733.
• The Holy Prophet. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. 1975. ISBN 9789976956320.
• The Ideal Islamic Government. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. 1990. ISBN 9789976956634.
• The Justice of God. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. 1992. ISBN 9789976956641.
• The Quran and Hadith. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. 1975. ISBN 9789976956870.
• The Quran: Its Protection from Alteration. Bilal Muslim Mission of Americas. ISBN 0964987813.
• Wahhabis Fitna Exposed. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. 1996. ISBN 9789976956764.
• What a Muslim Should Know and Believe. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. January 1987. ISBN 9789976956061.
• Your Questions Answered volume I. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. January 1975.
• Your Questions Answered volume II. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania.
• Your Questions Answered volume III. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania.
• Your Questions Answered volume III. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania.
• Your Questions Answered volume V. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. ISBN 9789976956672.
• Your Questions Answered volume VI. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. ISBN 9789976956900.
• Your Questions Answered volume VII. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. ISBN 9789987620074.
• اتمام حجت. المعارف پبلیکیشن، گوپالپور.
• A History of the Shi’a People. Al-Maarif Foundation
• Haja ya Dini. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania
• Understanding Karbala. Ansariyan Publications - Qum
• Slavery - From Islamic and Christian Perspectives. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania
• Alcohol. WOFIS
• Completion of Argument. Ansariyan Publication, Qum

As translator

• Extracts from Correspondence between A Muslim and A Christian. World Organization for Islamic Services. 1980.
• Munajaat of Amirul Mumineen Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s.). Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania.
• The Charter of Rights. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. ISBN 9789987620050.
• The Return of al-Mahdi. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. 1996. ISBN 9789976956962.
• Al-Mizan An Exegesis of the Quran - Volume 1. WORLD ORGANIZATION FOR ISLAMIC SERVICES (WOFIS)
• Al-Mizan An Exegesis of the Quran - Volume 2. WORLD ORGANIZATION FOR ISLAMIC SERVICES (WOFIS)
• Al-Mizan An Exegesis of the Quran - Volume 3. WORLD ORGANIZATION FOR ISLAMIC SERVICES (WOFIS)
• Al-Mizan An Exegesis of the Quran - Volume 4. WORLD ORGANIZATION FOR ISLAMIC SERVICES (WOFIS)
• Al-Mizan An Exegesis of the Quran - Volume 5. WORLD ORGANIZATION FOR ISLAMIC SERVICES (WOFIS)
• Al-Mizan An Exegesis of the Quran - Volume 6. WORLD ORGANIZATION FOR ISLAMIC SERVICES (WOFIS)
• Al-Mizan An Exegesis of the Quran - Volume 7. WORLD ORGANIZATION FOR ISLAMIC SERVICES (WOFIS)
• Al-Mizan An Exegesis of the Quran - Volume 8. WORLD ORGANIZATION FOR ISLAMIC SERVICES (WOFIS)
• Al-Mizan An Exegesis of the Quran - Volume 9. WORLD ORGANIZATION FOR ISLAMIC SERVICES (WOFIS)
• Al-Mizan An Exegesis of the Quran - Volume 10. WORLD ORGANIZATION FOR ISLAMIC SERVICES (WOFIS)
• Al-Mizan An Exegesis of the Quran - Volume 11. WORLD ORGANIZATION FOR ISLAMIC SERVICES (WOFIS)
• Al-Mizan An Exegesis of the Quran - Volume 12. WORLD ORGANIZATION FOR ISLAMIC SERVICES (WOFIS)
• Al-Mizan An Exegesis of the Quran - Volume 13. WORLD ORGANIZATION FOR ISLAMIC SERVICES (WOFIS)

As editor

• On to the Right Path. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. 1999. ISBN 9789987620081.
• Bustani ya Elimu. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania. January 2000. ISBN 9789976956665.
• The Light. - Bi Monthly English Magazine first started in 1963. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania

Journal articles

• "Imam Hasan, The Myth of his Divorces". Al-Serat Journal. 4 (3).
• "Martyrdom of Imam Husayn and the Muslim and Jewish Calendars". Al-Serat Journal. 6 (3–4).
• "The Illustrious Period of the Imamate of Imam Zayn al-'Abidin". Al-Serat Journal. 5 (3–4).
• "The Scholarly Jihad of the Imams - 95 - 148 A.H Part One". Al-Serat Journal. 9 (1–2).
• "The Scholarly Jihad of the Imams - 95 - 148 A.H Part Two". Al-Serat Journal. 9 (1–2).
• "The Fast of Ashura". Al-Serat Journal. 8 (3–4).
• "Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a.s.) and Bayah to Shaykhain". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

See also

• Rizvi
• List of Islamic scholars
• Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania

Suggested reading

• Outline of Shi'a Ithna-ashari History in East Africa by Marhum Mulla Asgharali M.M. Jaffer

References

1. Yunani medicine#History
2. Islamic Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat of Toronto (2015). "Jaffari Community Centre". Islamic Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat of Toronto. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
3. ^ Daya Munir ( 29 June 2002) Passing Away of Alama as-Sayyid Akhtar al-Rizvi Victory News Magazine
4. "ABOUT US – Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania".
5. "Mapping the Global Muslim Population". 7 October 2009.
6. "Understanding Karbala". 8 November 2013.
7. "Slavery from Islamic and Christian Perspectives". 18 January 2013.
8. "Alcohol". April 2015.
9. "Completion of Argument". 19 February 2015.
10. Bilal Muslim Mission

External links

• Biography Playandlearn
• List of books by Sayyid Sa'eed Akhtar Rizvi

• 1927 births
• 2002 deaths
• People from Saran district
• Shia scholars of Islam
• Indian Shia Muslims
• Indian Muslim missionaries
• Indian emigrants to Tanzania